Tips For Planning Your Next Weekend Getaway

K: We feel so lucky to have already taken several little trips this year! In case you missed it, we’ve been to Austin, took a little glamping trip, and just returned from San Diego. All of these trips were just over a weekend and we felt like time was maximized. Brandon and I thought it’d be fun to share a few helpful tips for planning your next weekend getaway and the strategies that have helped our recent trips to run smoothly.

Tips For Planning Your Next Weekend Getaway

Factor In Travel Time

It’s easy to get swept up in the idea of jet setting off on a weekend getaway, but important to remember that travel time usually takes half a day or more, unless you’re staying in state. If we’re driving somewhere, we make sure to leave when traffic will be manageable (typically early in the morning). If flying, I can sometimes take a half day from work in order to make sure we arrive by nightfall. It’s always a bummer when you realize that after travel time, you’ve only got 36 hours or so in a city. We also plan flights that allow us to leave in the evening on Sunday (or late afternoon) so that we can have an (almost) full day of exploration. Ask for a late check out to ensure that you won’t have to rush out on Sunday morning.

Create A Spreadsheet Of Locations

This is the Type A coming out in me, but I love creating spreadsheets for our weekend trips. I’ll label categories of “Day 1”, “Day 2”, and “Day 3”, then fill in ideas, restaurant locations, coffee shops, and anything else we want to do. I talked about the format a little more in the video below. I know a lot of people that just like to explore and not make plans, but when you’re crunched for time, it definitely pays to have a list and a general idea of what you want to accomplish. You can still be that free spirit and go where you want, but a list ensures that you have choice, variety, and options for the occasion. Email us (oneswainkycouple@gmail.com) if you want a copy of our spreadsheet template!

Pack Well

There’s nothing worse than arriving to your location, only to realize you aren’t prepared for the weather. Be sure to keep track of the forecast before you leave and make any updates to your wardrobe (a raincoat, extra jacket, etc.). I’ve definitely fallen victim to killer shoes before and found myself going as far as to buy a new pair, just so I could continue walking the streets. Be practical in your outfit choices, yet at the same time, I always find it fun to dress for the occasion. I like to let the city serve as my outfit inspiration. It also helps to google search “fashion blogger in {insert city} just to see what is being worn in the city. I’ll do this and then go through archives of the month that we’re traveling to see what that blogger wore during that time of year. Kind of a cool way to figure out an outfit idea!

Come Home To A Clean House

I LOVE when we return from a little trip and our house is clean. We typically get home pretty late on Sunday or if we are home early, the last thing we want to do is clean. It’s so nice to have a clean kitchen, made up bed, and minimal laundry. We always set aside an hour the night before we leave in order to clean the house quickly. If you’ve got more time, vacuum the floors and throw in a load of laundry.

Figure Out Your Budget

Since we take so many weekend trips, Brandon and I are careful about where we spend our money. A rental car has been a must for us on many of our trips if we fly, and we usually allow ourselves one nice meal. Decide how much you want to spend and stick to that budget so you aren’t overwhelmed with your credit card bill after getting home. We love saving money by packing our own snacks and breakfast bars. That way, we can just plan on eating an early lunch and then a dinner later on. Another way we save is booking the flight that is nonreturnable or does not have the travelers insurance with it. Brandon and I are decisive people and when we decide to travel, we’re definitely going.

One thing we learned from this last trip to San Diego is that you should set aside a little bit more than you budget for, in order to account for sneaky extra costs (like the crazy California taxes that we were unaware of or the parking ticket that we received). We did not do this and those extra items really bummed us out with our budget.